Dispensing device



Dec. 30, 1941.

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed July 15, 1940 D. P. HUCKFELDT 2,267,921

, j 3 INVENTORT DONALD P. HUC/(FELDT.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1941 Y UNITED} STATE v OFFICE DISPENSING DEVICE- Donald P. Huckfeldt, San Francisco, Calif. Application July 15, 1940, Serial No. 345,5'19

4 Claims. (cram-421) The present invention relates to improvements in a dispensing device and its principal object is to provide a device of the character described in which goods are attractively displayed to the public and are made to move from display position to dispensing position, from which'latter position they may be manually removed by an attendant. I A further object of'my invention isto Provide a device in which goods are displayed on slantingt'rays so as to be readily visible to customers, while the dispensing 'is done from the lower end so that the device is'self-cleaning'.

Itis further proposed to provide a dispensing device in which the'goods' are caused'to pass through guide-ways in continuous procession from the point of entry to the point of removal, sothat all the goods are removed in their order of entry, and there is no possibility of any goods becoming lodgedand remaining in the device sufficiently long to become stale.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a dispensing device which is exceedingly simple in construction, economic in use and has no moving parts, the goods proceeding in orderly succession from the point of entry to the point of removal by gravity. g V

And finally it is proposed in the present invention to organize the various features into a simple cabinet adapted for positioning on a counter and arranged insuch a manner that it may be readily filled and emptied from the rear by an attendant standing behind the counter, while at the same time, the goods pass in attractive display in view of a person standing in front of the counter.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features thereof will be fully set forth in the claims hereto appended.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of my dispensing device, and

Figure 2, a longitudinal section therethrough.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my dispensing device comprises a cabinet I preferably made of transparent material, such as glass and shaped inany suitable and desired manner to present an attractive appearance. I

In its preferred form the cabinet comprises side walls 2, a front wall3, a top wall 4, and a slanting wall 5 connecting the front and the top, the rear of the cabinet being open, as indicated at 6- A The front and side walls may be made to rest on a suitable metallic-frame, as indicated at I.

The bottom 8 of the cabinet includes a flat rear section 9, and a front section III, the front end of which curves upward and lies flat against the upper end of the front wall 3, as indicated at H.

A plurality of partitions l2 are'mounted on the bottom plate in spaced and parallel relation so as to form guide-ways I3 thereon. The bottom edge of each partition is shaped to conform to the outline of the bottom plate, and each partition is formed with an extension [4 slanting upward from the front end, of the partition as at IS, in a rearward direction to the rear end of the cabinet, as at [6.

A second plate I! is supported underneath these extensions, one end of the plate being received in registering recesses 18, between the partitions and their extensions, while the other end of the plate 11 is supported on a transverse rod I 9 at the rear of the cabinet.

The extensions l4 thus cooperate with the plate 11 in forming a plurality of guide-ways 20 which are arranged above the lower guide-ways I3 and register therewith. vThe incline of each guideway 20 is such that goods displayed thereon will travel downward by gravity and will discharge over the lower end of the plate "into the corresponding lower guide-ways, where again they. will advance under the influence of gravity until they reach the relatively flat section 9.

When the goods reach the fiat section 9 they come to a stop, and this causes the goods on the inclined guide-way to stop. When an operator removes a certain quantity of goods from the flat section 9 of any one of the guide-ways, as by means of a scoop, there will be a general advance of all the goods along both the upper and lower guide-ways until sufficient goods have congregated on the flat section 9 to stop the general advance.

While the section 9 has here been shown as being horizontal, it may be mounted on a slight incline to facilitate the travel of the goods as long as it performs its function of stopping the general advance when a desired amount has congregated on the said section.

It will be noted that the inclined front wall 5 of the cabinet covers the guide-ways at the point of reversal and thus serves as a guide for the goods to prevent the same from spilling as the direction of travel is reversed.

It should be understood, that while I show a definite simple construction adapted for the purposes of my invention, I do not desire to be confined thereto. Particularly, it should be pointed out, that many different ways may be provided for mounting the two plates and the partitions with respect to one another, as long as the general objects of providing continuous guide-ways with a reversal in direction are obtained.

The manner of using my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description:

rear facing the attendant. If the device is to .be

used for the dispensing of various types of proc-' essed nuts, for instance, the attendant-fills each one of the upper guide-ways from the rear, with its particular kind of nuts, the latter travelling downwardly to drop over the lower edge of the upper guide-way upon the lower guide-way, which further advances them until the goods come to a stop on the relatively fiat portion 9 of the lower guide-way. I

Each one of the guide-ways is thus filled to capacity with the different kinds of nuts, or other goods, and the latter lie on the upper guideways in attractive display, visible to the customer. The latter may thus select the kind of nuts he wishes to purchase, and upon ordering from the selected guide-ways, the attendant will remove the desired quantity from the rear of the lower guide-way by means of a scoop, or similar instrument.

As a quantity ofnuts is being removed from the rear section of one-of the lower guide-ways, there will be a general advance of all the goods on the upper and lower guide-ways, which not only attracts the attention of the customer, but also favorably impresses upon him the fact that the goods are being moved constantly in continuous succession, entering at one end and leaving at the other end, so that there is no possibility of any of the goods remaining in the cabinet sufficiently long to become stale.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing device, a housing open at the rear end and having wallsmade of transparent material, an upper guide-way extending from the rear end of the housing to within close proximity of the front wall and slanting downwardly from rear to front to allow goods to be fed there- The cabinet is placed on the counter with the front wall facing the customer, and the open front and connecting with the front edge of the on from the rear for display and to travel downwardly by gravity for discharge over the front edge, a lower guide-way underneath the first guide-way and having a portion projecting forwardly of the front end of the upper guide-way to receive the goods dropped from the first guideway, the forward portion of the lower guideway having a bottom slanting downwardly from front to rear for feeding the goods by gravity in a reverse direction and the rearward portion of the lower guide-way being relatively fiat to normally stop the advance of the goods and to allow the same to be scooped therefrom through the rear of the housing and the housing having atop wall slanting downwardly from rear to lower guide-way.

'2. In a dispensing device, a bottom plate shaped to curve upwardly at the front section thereof, a plurality of partitions mounted on the plate and forming parallel guide-rways therewith, the partitions having rearward extensions projecting on an incline from the front portions thereof, a second plate and means for supporting the same underneath the extensions and in inclined position to form guide-ways therewith terminating at their lower ends over the front section of the bottom plate and in registering relation with the guide-ways on the bottom plate.

3. 'In a dispensing device, a bottom plate shaped to curve upwardly at the front section thereof, a plurality of partitions mounted on the plate and forming parallel guide-ways therewith, a second plate mounted over the bottom plate and slanting downwardly from rear to front and stopping short of the curved front of the bottom plate, and partitions on the second plate in registering relation with the partitions on the bottom plate, the partitions of the upper plate being joined to the partitions on the lower plate between the front edges of the plates.

4. In a dispensing device, a bottom plate shaped to curve upwardly at the front section thereof, a plurality of partitions mounted on the plate and forming parallel guide-ways therewith, a second plate mounted over the bottom plate andslante ing downwardly from rear to front and stopping short of the curved front of the bottom plate, and partitions on the second plate in registering relation with the partitions on the bottom plate, the partitions of the upperplate being joined to the partitions of the lower plate between the front edgesof the plates, and restricting means causing goods descending the second guide-ways to be guided toward the bottom guide-ways.

DONALD P. HUCKFELDT. 

